Gundam IBO: Loyalties
by MrLegitimacy
Summary: Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine test out a new hyperdrive capable of traveling to distant galaxies, but find themselves stranded when they crash land in our very on solar system on the planet Mars. They encounter McGillis Fareed, and with the help of the considerable forces under his control set out to conquer a whole new galaxy. How will this change the events of the IBO anime?
1. Chapter 1

Darkness prevails. Though hope flares up on occasion, none is so bright as to pierce the veil of tyranny over the Galaxy. One man holds the reigns, and controls every facet of the civilized Galaxy. Sheev Palpatine, though most people call him the Emperor, stands atop his Galactic Empire with an indomitable will and a fearsome knight to enforce his rule. His knowledge is deep, his armies are vast, and his power is absolute. His right hand, apprentice, and fellow Sith Lord, DARTH VADER, was among the only living beings who could threaten his rule.

Formerly the powerful Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker, the now even more fearsome Darth Vader traversed the Galaxy carrying out the will of his master, usually annihilating any who would hinder his sinister mission. For Vader, life was suffering, and the resultant pain was as kindling for the flames of hatred, which was the source of his power. His fall to the Dark Side of the Force was fully precipitated with the betrayal of his friends and crippling of his natural body. The human parts that remained were encased in a nightmarish shell, which moved and functioned as a normal body would, but never truly completed him. Even the torture of the prison which he inhabited was nowhere near as painful as the anguish he once suffered over his decisions. Perhaps once, but no more.

For a Sith, there was no greater power than that derived from hatred and desire. The Force flowed through everything, and it was the way of the Dark Side to reach out and appropriate it how one saw fit. It is the nature of the powerful to attempt to preserve that which they have, and Sheev Palpatine sought to do just that.

"Lord Vader." The hooded figure of the Emperor stood before a large glass tube, roughly a meter in diameter. The bright liquid which filled it rapidly began to drain, revealing a shape which was, for the most part, recognizable as human. "The time has come to commence testing of the contingency," crooned the wicked, old man. "We are to venture beyond the Unknown Regions, and you will accompany me to investigate an entirely new frontier."

The tank emptied, and amidst the hissing of hoses and dripping from the once-whole limbs of Anakin emerged a new sound.

 _Tooogh. Khuuu._

It was a hollow sound, like a machine struggling to operate at maximum efficiency. Or like a dying mother drawing her calm, final breaths during childbirth. A frail, wispy voice replied, "Yes, master."

Now fully armored, the dark lord gazed upon the Emperor's craft through bulbous lenses. Specs and read outs of the vessel populated the empty space around his field of vision, and his connection with the Force granted him spatial understanding that scanners could not. "This craft... Is different." A mechanical breath separated the statement in two.

"As you know, there have, up to now, been no ships capable of probing deep into the Unknown Regions." Beyond the edge of the Galaxy lie grand magnetic storms, vicious solar winds, and countless unpredictable dangers. Palpatine gestured toward the ship, "The _Imperative_ is the product of much research and testing. Today we begin practical trials."

Vader was a practical Sith Lord, one who valued results. "What distance are we capable of traveling, my lord?"

"The enhanced hyperdrive within can carry one for as of yet unimaginable distances." At the Emperor's insistence, they began up the ramp to the belly of the ship. "The length of, say, several galaxies." Escaping the galaxy was the dream of fools, and slave boys who yearned for adventure, or so Vader thought.

"And if we are unable to return?"

Together they entered the bridge, to find it oddly vacant of any but themselves and a pair of royal guards, who hardly counted as people by any standard measure. "That, my apprentice, is why I am bringing you." Darth Sidious claimed his seat in the imposing throne constructed for himself, presiding over the many control panels and modules from a distance.

"Yes, master. When shall we depart?" As his voice modulator produced the words, the two guards moved to assume their positions near the front facing viewport, each step evoking a choreographed dance maneuver. With a theatrical flurry of robes they seated themselves at their respective control panels, lights flickering on and the ship humming to life.

"Immediately."


	2. Chapter 2

Many years ago, a boy named McGillis was taken in by a powerful man, whom he was loyal to. However, he soon discovered his loyalty was misplaced. He as well as a plethora of other children were used for the perverse desires of elderly men, until he one day was pulled from his hell when Iznario Fareed recognized in him great potential. At that moment his destiny was forever set for greatness, and he would see to it that he became the greatest of all.

He, together with his much lamer friend and companion Gaelio, joined and ascended the ranks of Gjallarhorn. They were effectively space police knights with giant robots that had maintained peace for centuries, and it just so happened McGillis had been adopted by one of their premier members. At the top of Gjallarhorn were the Seven Stars, so named because there were seven of them. Each controlled their own number of men, machines, and territory from Earth, to orbiting space colonies, and even the terraformed surface of Mars. Iznario was one of those Stars, and as such McGillis was groomed to take that same leadership position.

In the last few years, his maneuvers had led his path across a spunky organization of ambitious child soldiers who could serve as a powerful ally when he required military action without dirtying his own hands. Admittedtly, this was mostly due to their ace pilot and his absurdly powerful mech, but the extra cannon fodder was a nice addition for the price. The latest report from Tekkadan, as they called themselves, was of great interest to McGillis. It seemed while mining on Mars they had run across an old, abandoned mobile armror-the Hashmal. This was of importance for two reasons: First, the mobile armors were the deadly Metal Gears programmed to slaughter humans, and cause of the Calamity War 300 years prior. Second, it just so happened that dispatching one was grounds for receiving the most prestigious of honors within Gjallarhorn, and one giant leap towards the top.

After an incredibly trying limousine ride to the excavation site, his day was only worsened by the arrival of Iok Kujan and his squad of soldiers from Gjallarhorn's Arianrhod Fleet. Little did this buffoon know, approaching a mobile _armor_ with a mobile _suit_ was a surefire way to have oneself extremely embarrassed if not killed outright. This turned out to be _beyond_ a hassle when he had to help organize a plan to intercept and disable the behemoth and its swarm of village pillaging, resource gathering, people murdering, flesh eating (Okay, maybe not flesh eating) drones. It seemed everything was destined to go wrong that day, as he had been egregiously delayed by an unknown fellow in a mech cooler than his own on the way to ensure the success of his plan.

Before he could close any significant distance to the site where they would trap the Hashmal, his ear pinged with a notification from one of Tekkadan's eager operators. Barely comprehending the operator's update for lack of caring, McGillis turned his robot's cameras towards the sky, where he saw yet another object entering the atmosphere. The Arianrhod fleet had already dropped mobile suits in his way twice today, they would not be allowed to a third time.

As he and Isurugi Camice raced towards the projected landing site for the UF(alling)O, he ran through all the different ways to dispatch a combatant with an over inflated ego, as any secret weapon of Rustal's surely was. Beyond the next landmass rose a great red cloud of dust as the object struck the surface. The terrain trembled terribly as Isurugi remarked, "What _is_ that thing? No Gjallarhorn craft in production should be that massive." _Obviously,_ McGillis thought, _that's no Gjallarhorn craft._ Making haste, they sped towards the impact unsure of what to expect.

Pipes whistled with the release of propellant as the pair of mechanical Titans heavily touched down before the vast crater birthed by the fallen object, the second largest crater they had seen this day. Thick smoke rose from the site, and McGillis could sense a great energy emanating from it, darker than the thick black smoke which erupted from its hull. It rattled him to his core. Maintaining composure as best he could in the presence of his subordinate, he activated his Graze Ritter's scanners over the wreckage to check for any signs of life.

Before a full sweep over the mass could be completed, a spark emerged from its side. _No, not a spark, a beam._ No larger than a meter, it would be as a toothpick to a standard mobile suit. It moved in a circular motion, leaving a trail of molten metal behind it. When it met its own origin point, completing its shape, the beam vanished. After a moment, the disc of hull was ejected at near blinding speed, striking the lip of the crater and flipping away like a coin to decide one's fate.

From the hole came a leg, then a second, before finally the figure of a large man stood aside the downed ship. Except, this was no ordinary man. That much was apparent by the domed helmet atop his head and impressive, if a bit gaudy, cape about him. In fact, it was hard to tell if it was a man at all. Curiously, not an inch of of skin was visible upon the dark and mysterious visage. Under the magnification of the the Graze's cameras, McGillis could track its line of sight, from the ground up and across the wide sky, then straight down at McGillis himself. Over the long range audio scanner came a sound.

 _Tooogh. Kuuugh_

Surely this was what nightmares were made of, he thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

"Another dried out world," Darth Vader said aloud.

"It seems even in other galaxies..." the voice came from within the wreckage of the _Imperative_ , "they are in no short supply." Out stepped his robed master, surprisingly limber for a man his age. "The locals have been kind enough to come greet us, it would be rude to decline them." Outside the rim of the crater in which they stood were a pair of blue, mechanical giants. An abrasive screech preceded their first communication, as a smooth, practiced voice came over a loudspeaker.

"You have landed in a war zone, it is unsafe for civilians. State your business and affiliation."

Master and apprentice nonchalantly exchanged a glance. "Shall we dispatch them, master?" Vader inquired as he raised a gloved hand toward the towering humanoid shapes. As was customary when greeting a new adversary, he felt within the Force to grab hold of the monstrous machines-only to find he could not. Darth Sidious strode past him before he had time enough to react.

"There will be no need, Lord Vader. There are men within these machines, and I can sense their fear." Vader tried and failed to do the same, baffled at the prospect of being unable to commune with the Force. _Surely this planet must have a dense population of ysalamiri,_ he thought, _but then, that explains not how he can sense their fear._ "They are no threat to us," his master reassured.

The bulkier of the two machines grasped its improbably large sword and readied itself in a combat stance as Palpatine began to close the distance between the two parties with Vader close in tow. "Cease your approach or we will take defensive action," this time a different voice, more unstable, more panicked. Its companion stepped forward, signaling to stand down with the calm raising of an arm to its side. Pneumatics hissed as an opening appeared on its torso, revealing an elegant fellow with golden hair, and the eyes of a man who wanted to run. He sounded desperate as he spoke.

"What... _Are_ you?" A voice came to him, not propagated through the atmosphere, but seemingly inside his own head.

"How prudent. To answer your question..." Only Palpatine's mouth was exposed beneath his robe. McGillis could see his lips moving in sync with the voice. "I am the one who will rrrrule this galaxy as I do my own. The true question is, will you be an asset to my conquest, or a hindrance?"

"Master.."

"Patience, Lord Vader. I have sewn the seeds of doubt. They must be nurtured until they can be harvested." The last syllable contained nearly too much emphasis to be considered proper. Again the bulky mech moved with aggressive intent, swinging its sword backwards against the ground, ready to sweep the two Sith into oblivion. "It appears one is already ripe. Deal with him."

Vader leapt ahead of his master, ready to intercept the monstrosity poised to engage them. "M- McGillis, do something!" His frantic tone gave Vader the confidence he needed to accommodate his distinct lack of Force abilities at present. The blonde man and his robot remained motionless, as he hoped they would stay. "Urrrgh... Yaaaaah!"

The machine moved surprisingly quick for its immense stature, as the readouts on Vader's HUD sprang to life with motion analytics. From its rear position, he dragged his great sword in an arc towards the man sized combatant. This may have been effective against any normal human, but this, Vader was not. His mechanical limbs launched him safely above the swipe a full second before his previous resting place was converted into a makeshift moat about the bot. At the height of his jump, he took a moment to glare straight into the face of the man shaped contraption, machine to machine. Amidst the flurry of his cape, he drew and ignited his lightsaber in a fluid, effortless motion. The machine drew backwards, it's high center of gravity pulling it farther back than would seem intentional. Vader tracked where he the pilot would be, provided this one was built like the other whose cockpit still hung open, a mouth agape to mirror its own pilot. Unable to correct itself, the mechanical mammoth toppled backwards onto the ground. Vader knew this was his chance to strike.

He imagined the trajectory of his saber flying straight toward the cockpit, and watched as his limbs made reality of his plan. An overhead throw like a javelin launched his black and steely hilt directly to the center of its large torso, but to Vader's chagrin, the blade fizzled and dissipated before it could reach its target. The minuscule metal cylinder produced an underwhelming _tink_ as it bounced off the chest and flew out of sight. _No matter,_ Vader thought, _this just makes things interesting._ He adjusted his orientation to allow himself to drift towards the torso himself, subtly tugging his cape here and there for precision turning.

Inside the cockpit, the poor, frightened pilot watched as the black figure enlarged until he felt a quake far too violent to have been caused by the weight of a man landing on his mobile suit. His eyes had closed reflexively, and when he opened them, a shapely black mask peered down at him, seemingly floating in the air above him. Of course, this was merely a projection of the outside. Upon close inspection he could see slight distortions where this being's close proximity placed it in between cameras, and the on board software couldn't fill in the rest. Its gloved hands stretched grotesquely into polygonal stumps; he could see the pixels. A pathetic creak sounded, and the image began to crackle. Realizing what was happening, he pawed around frantically for the door lock switch, when he remembered mobile suits didn't even have keys, let alone door locks. For 300 years military leaders had insisted the only security a giant robot required was a well disciplined pilot and vigilant guards to prevent unsanctioned departures. They really ought have revised their strategy, since both seemed scarce these days.

Snapping back to the present, however, he knew he had to act fast. This creature was prying open the cockpit hatch, and he had to defend himself. With trembling hands he unholstered his pistol, and after several attempts successfully loaded the clip. Trying not to think about how impossible this situation was, how inhuman was the beast aboard his bot, and how wet his seat had become, he readied himself. He raised his weapon, aiming it directly at the face of the helmeted horror.

Metal whined as the hatch finally gave way and slowly opened. Inch by inch the display bent outwards and up, with sunlight taking its place. At last, there hung its silhouette against the blinding sun. "Die, you monster!" Isurugi quite literally cried as he pulled the trigger. He pulled again and again, closing his eyes as the deafening blasts rocked his cranium. He pulled until pitiful clicks replaced thunderous shots, eventually leaving only the sound of the Martian wind... And something else.

 _Tooogh. Khuuu._


	4. Chapter 4

Isurugi fell to the ground kicking and screaming. Looking up, his eyes met the intense glare of the Matian sun off the armor of the black beast. He knew this was it, that demon would descend upon him, and as its prey he was entirely helpless. The silhouette shifted, and Isurugi winced, averting his gaze. He waited, expecting a hand around his throat, or metallic boot to the head. It never came, which unnerved him further.

The Helmwige sprang to life, cockpit still ajar, and within it sat Darth Vader. The sound of the dark lord's respirator rang from the mobile suit's loudspeaker, as it turned to face the remaining enemy. "Shall I proceed to eliminate the other, Master?" His modulated voice crackled and distorted through the sound system.

"That will not be necessary," relayed the unaided vocal chords of Darth Sidious. It came as no surprise that a man so infatuated with opera would be a master at projecting his own voice. Within his Graze, McGillis sat motionless, terrified by the scene which had played out, and what would next befall him.

 _This... This can't be!_ Everything McGillis had worked for was suddenly at risk. If he was killed here, with his mission still incomplete, then his entire life had amounted to nothing. He could practically feel the scissor blades around his neck as he stared at the robed figure slowly approaching him. _I won't die, not here, not now!_

"Young man, please come out of that feeble machine. I would very much like to have a word with you." After an extended moment of hesitation, McGillis began to peel himself from his seat, struggling to maintain composure. "Excellent. Now, I have several questions for you."

Rappelling down from the cockpit, McGillis slowly turned to face the wicked warlock. _I could try to kill him, but will I be able to make it back into my mobile suit before his servant gets to me?_ He mentally grasped his sidearm, weighing his chances. He was certain the old man would be an easy target, as he appeared frail and unarmed. The only question was if he would be able to dispatch the armored man.

"Tell me, son, what is the name of this planet?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Perhaps the strength of the black knight was not the only thing otherworldly about this duo. Forcibly calming himself, and showing no outward signs of fear, he began.

"This is the planet Mars, fifth from the Sun. I suppose you're not from around here?"

"If you could refrain, I am the only one who will be asking questions here." The robed man stopped within a meter of McGillis. Beneath his hood could be seen hints of a ruined face, with piercing yellow eyes peering out of recessed sockets. "Mars, is it? Could you provide me a summary of the state of political affairs in this galaxy?"

 _They truly are from another world,_ he thought. _Should I try to spin things to make myself appear more powerful?_

"And please, do not attempt to deceive me." The old man cracked a wretched smile, "Your thoughts will betray you." A brief pause filled the air before McGillis spoke.

"There is no known life outside of our solar system. All government and society is secluded to this planet and our home world Earth, as well as orbiting space colonies in its vicinity." He suspected the man may have expected life permeating the whole galaxy, which bewildered him. "I am an officer of Gjallarhorn, keepers of peace for 300 years. We operate independently of the several economic blocks which divide the Earth and Mars into sovereign states. There is no other military which can match the might of our forces." He was only slightly exaggerating.

"Fascinating. Only a single star inhabited?" The elderly man reached for his hood, slowly pulling it back to reveal a horrid countenance marred with deep trenches too numerous to count. "I am Emperor Palpatine, supreme ruler of my home galaxy, and soon conqueror of this one as well. You may join me..." Darth Vader lurched forward in the Helmwige. "Or die."

The second was a non-option, but the first seemed hardly a choice at all. That is, until McGillis realized that the black knight would be yet another powerful asset in his quest for power. Besides, when everything was said and done, he could always betray them.

McGillis slowly and solemnly lowered on one knee, and with a hand stretched across his body to touch his shoulder, uttered "Yes, my lord." Just then a great beam swept across the sky, carving a line into the mesas which surrounded them. Gravelly rumbling preceded the sluggish slide of each plateau off their bases. "That, uh..." The falling rock crashed to the ground, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"It seems there is a nearby conflict," Palpatine commented, seemingly unphased. "Lord Vader, would you go and check it out?" The Helmwige turned and started into a slow, lumbering gait.

"Ah, no, wait!" McGillis rose frantically, unthinkingly losing his cool. He waved his hands, running towards the Helmwige. Its head spun abruptly towards him, striking fear into his heart. "P- please, take my Graze instead! It's greater agility will serve you well." He bowed meekly, hands gestured towards his own mobile suit. _This is absurd! This show of fealty had better work._ With his face still towards the ground he gritted his teeth in frustration. Ahead of him he heard something hit the ground. Upon lifting his head to see, he found himself staring up at the monstrous black knight.

 _Tooogh. Khuuuuh._

A moment passed which seemed to drag on forever, while McGillis tried and failed to hide his expression of complete terror.

"Very well." His black cape swept across his body as he strode past McGillis. Seconds later, he turned around in time to see the black knight reach the Graze's cockpit in a single, effortless leap. _This has_ got _to all be a dream,_ he thought to himself, just before a cold, bony hand landed upon his shoulder. He was helpless to the power of his reflexes, which had him pull away violently as he fell to the ground.

"My boy, why don't you accompany him?" McGillis could only stare at the gaunt face of the Emperor. "It will be good for you to bond," he said through a crooked smile. McGillis pulled himself up and swallowed hard.

"Of course, my lord." He spun on his heels toward the remaining mobile suit. He went with long strides, taking not a second to look back. He gazed down at Isurugi as he passed by. The poor fool had been holding himself, rocking forth and back in the dirt. He was incessantly muttering something, but McGillis could not make it out.

From behind him came that grating voice, "I can sense your contempt." He stopped fast. As McGillis turned slowly to look at the Emperor, he continued, "Relish it. _Stew_ in it. Use it to make yourself stronger. Only through hatred can you become more powerful." McGillis stood there a moment, unsure if he should respond, before carrying on his way. He reached the Helmwige and released its lift cable, planting his foot in the hold at the bottom and cementing a firm grip around it. As it began to pull him up, he heard the Emperor speak yet again. "And could you send for transport? I despise walking long distances." Looking back towards the old crone, he noticed two red robed figures crawling from the wreckage.

"Right away," McGillis said through grated teeth. He seated himself in the cockpit and the controls sprang to life. His Graze looked over at him expectantly. Over the comm line he announced, "McGillis Fareed, moving out!"

* * *

That's it for this initial run of IBO: Loyalties! I had a lot of cool ideas for how to advance the story and alter the course of the anime more to my liking (heheh), but unless there are people interested in reading more then I really want to divert my creative energy elsewhere. Up next, of course, would be Mikazuki and Darth Vader tag teaming the Hashmal, so if that tickles your fancy, express your interest! Let me know by leaving a comment, review, hit up my Twitter or MAL account (Named "peetza"), anything! Until next time, peace!


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